Abstract
This thesis contributes to the literature on performance measurement in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by investigating the relationship between the usage of innovation performance measurements and innovation outcomes such as product and process innovation. Furthermore, the thesis seeks to identify under what specific conditions innovation performance measurements are most effective in SMEs.This thesis uses representative longitudinal data from Australian government bodies to answer its research questions. These government bodies are the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Specifically, it uses information from two mandatory government surveys from the ABS’s Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (BLADE): the Business Characteristics Survey (BCS) and the Management Capability Survey (MCS); and tax filings from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The results show that there is a positive relationship between SMEs’ innovation performance measurement and innovation outcomes. Furthermore, firms with a major focus on innovation performance measurement have better innovation outcomes than those that only focus on these measures to a minor extent. In contrast to expectations, size negatively moderates the overarching relationship, meaning that smaller firms benefit the most from innovation performance measurement. SMEs benefit the most from innovation performance measurement when the measures align with their underlying strategy, managers are remunerated based on the performance of these measures, the measures have long-term aspects to them, and managers monitor these measures frequently.
| Date of Award | 8 Feb 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Tim Hasso (Supervisor) & Jan Hollindale (Supervisor) |